Life's Greatest Illusion
by Crimson Sweetness
Summary: Bonds that last a lifetime are hard to come by, but sometimes you just meet that right person that fits you perfectly in every way. And then you grow up together. And then you grow old together. Sometimes even together-together. Either way, it's one hell of a ride. Co-Author: TheWindWakersDream. Cancelled.


Ruby was nervous as she stared curiously over at the little blonde boy, he was cute, awfully so. He was rubbing his knee, it looked as if he fell off of the slide, and Ruby felt sympathy for him at that moment. The slide was pretty high up off the ground, and the padding of the playground was rough, and it hurt when you scraped any part of your body against it. She couldn't remember how many times she was in a similar situation, though her mom always had bandages, and medicine ready for her.

"Are you okay?" Ruby tentatively asked as she slowly stepped closer to the young boy.

The boy looked up at her with tears in his eyes, she knelt down next to him and placed one of her tiny hands on his shoulder. He flinched away instinctively. "Not really, no. I hurt my knee pretty bad, and my mommy is talking with somebody, she hates being bothered when she's talking with people." He replied.

Ruby looked around the park and saw a woman with long blonde hair talking to her mother, it didn't take an eight year old to figure out the connection. "Come with me, my mommy has some band-aids." Ruby said as she took the boy by the hand and pulled him to his feet, the scrape seemed superficial since he was standing fine. "Let's go."

"Alright," he said as she began pulling him towards the two adults. He cried in alarm as she started running, for such a small girl she really had a lot of strength, and a good grip. _Really_ good grip. It might have just been his young mind stretching the truth, but he really felt as if she could pull his arm right off. "Is that you're mommy talking to mine?"

"Yeah, she's really nice, and she always brings band-aids cause I fall off the slide a lot too." Jaune smiled softly, knowing they had at least SOMETHING in common. Before they knew it, Ruby had dragged them across the playground in seconds. "Mommy, I need a band-aid."

Summer looked down at her daughter in confusion, noticing the boy she was dragging behind her. She smiled and laughed upon noticing his slightly bloody knee and the tears on his face. "Jaune, did you fall off the slide again?" The woman beside her asks. Summer laughs again and reaches in her purse, pulling out a band aid and some anti-biotic.

"M-maybe…" The women laughed together as Summer motioned for Jaune to put his leg on the table, she quickly cleaned his cut. Jaune hissed when the cloth hit his skin, but as he looked over to Ruby, he quickly quieted himself so he could seem tough in front of the girl. "Doesn't hurt at all…" He hissed through clenched teeth.

Ruby looked at him in wonder, could someone really be so tough? If there was anything she knew, it was that whatever her mom had always put on her wounds, hurt whenever it was applied. "Woah! Really?" She asked with wide eyes.

Jaune nodded quickly. "Oh yeah, I don't feel a thing." He raised his hand and gave her a shaky thumbs up, tears being held back by sheer willpower alone.

"Aw, they're so cute!" Their moms cooed in unison.

As Summer finished cleaning Jaune's knee, she put a bandage over it and turned to his mother. "So how old is your boy?"

"Oh, he's eight! Isn't he just adorable? He looks so much like his father!" Jaune's mother exclaimed. "How old is your daughter? She's so cute!"

Summer smiled politely at the excitable woman as she turned to look at Ruby and Jaune, having already run back to the playground. "She's six. She's always needed more friends, do you think your son and her will get along well?"

"Well, they appear to be already, just look." Jaune's mother motioned over to the playground, where Ruby and Jaune played together happily. "I've only ever seen Jaune smile like that when he's playing with his sisters. I think they'll be good friends!"

Summer nodded to the woman and they both looked over to their children as they sat atop the slide. "Are you ready Jaune? I'm going to go down after you, okay?"

Jaune gave an affirmative and went down the slide, Ruby went after him and giggled as they both fell onto each other as they hit the ground. "That was fun! And I didn't get hurt this time!" Ruby gave him a high five.

Ruby looked around the playground with a wide grin on her face. "Ooh! Let's go on the swings!" Before Jaune could reply, Ruby grabbed his hand again and dragged him over to the playset. Sadly there was only one swing left, so Jaune got an idea. "Aw, there's only one left…" Ruby whined.

"Don't worry, you can have it! I'll push you!" Ruby gasped and hugged him quickly before jumping on the swing.

Ruby sat, bouncing on the seat as Jaune walked behind her and gave her a gentle push. She immediately deflated. "No! You need to push as hard as you can!" Jaune smiled at the offer of the challenge and took a few steps back before running up to the swing and pushing as hard as his body would allow. "Wheeeeee!" Ruby cried as she soared through the air.

Jaune took a deep breath as she came back towards him faster than he thought she would, he quickly jumped out of the way as she flew past him, and back up again. He laughed at the look on her face, and pushed her again after she had slowed a little. he made sure to push her higher than before, and as she reached the apex of the swing's movement, she jumped recklessly off.

Ruby laughed as she flew through the air, looking down at the bewildered expression on Jaune's face, she laughed even harder. She quickly looked back to the ground before landing on her feet and standing straight, just to show off to the boy. Jaune spear tackled her into a hug as they fell to the floor in a heap. "That was amazing!" Jaune yelled as he looked down at the girl, Ruby smiled right back at him.

"Hehe, thanks! I always do that when I play on the swings, so I'm REALLY good at it! You should see what my sister can do though, she's really good at doing all sorts of tricks!" Ruby gushed. "I wish I could be as awesome as her!"

Jaune huffed as he sat up on the ground. "I bet you're ten times cooler than she is." He stood up and offered his hand to the girl, Ruby took it appreciatively and was lifted to the ground… slower than she was expecting from someone as tough as she figured Jaune to be. "You're the coolest person I know after all!"

If Ruby were older, that statement would have made her blush. She smiled a toothy grin, showing off her baby teeth. "Thanks, you're the awesomest person I know too!" Jaune smiled back at her. "What do you wanna do now, Jaune?" She asked, tilting her head as she looked around them for something to do.

Jaune looked over at the seesaw and his eyes lit up. "I bet I can bounce you off the seesaw!" He ran over to the plank of wood as Ruby followed after him.

"I totally can, easy!" She bragged, puffing out her chest as she jumped on the lowered end. Jaune jumped up on the higher end and forced Ruby upwards, she staggered a little and Jaune stopped worriedly. "No, do it again, I've done this before!" She looked at him with resolve, and he happily did as she asked. This time she jumped backwards as it reached the top, using the momentum to push herself higher. She twirled through the air and landed on her feet, leaving Jaune in awe. It seemed like Ruby had a natural talent in acrobatics.

"Man… I wish I could jump around like that…" Jaune sagged slightly in defeat, knowing that someone who was younger than him could do such awesome things and knowing they were a GIRL to boot really nailed his ego. Ruby noticed his sour mood and came up with an idea to cheer him up.

"Hey, it's alright. Maybe I can teach you how to be as awesome as me!" She said, not meaning to sound so egotistical.

Jaune's eyes glimmered with hope. "Really?! You'd do that for me?!"

"Of course, that's what friends are for, right? Alright, now watch me, and do exactly as I do!" Ruby does a cartwheel, and as she stops, lifts her hands into the air triumphantly. Jaune stares back at her, and looks at the ground hesitantly. "What's the matter? Can't you do a cartwheel?"

"I-I've never tried to before… I wouldn't know how…" Ruby smiled triumphantly as she walked up to the boy, she was prepared to do whatever it took to make him happy.

"It's really easy, all you gotta do is…" Ruby demonstrated the correct hand movements to Jaune and told him exactly how hard to kick with his legs, he still seemed unsure afterwards, so she gave him a hug and stared him dead in the eyes. "I know you can do it, Jaune!"

Jaune nodded, feeling better at her assurance. He stretched his limbs and did a few jumping jacks, Ruby giggled at the display. They both knew he was only delaying it. After a few more minutes of Ruby watching him exercise, he finally decided to just get it over with… And he promptly fell over.

Ruby was a kind child, let us never forget that, and she truly hoped Jaune thought the same thing as she burst out laughing at his humiliating display. Jaune honestly felt like crying at that point, but he knew he'd lose a good friend if he just went home now, so he stood back up and tried again. "You… can do it… Jaune…" Ruby managed to squark out through her laughter.

"Yeah, sure…" Jaune muttered as he dusted himself off. Dirt flew off like a cloud of dust, and he straightened his back. "I can do it…" He told himself. He breathed deeply and tried again, failing once more. But this time, Ruby didn't laugh, and he stood right back up. "I CAN do it." Ruby cheered him on as he continuously tried to land it.

After the sixth failed attempt, Jaune was ready to stop, but when he looked up from where he was laying on the ground, Ruby stood over him and smiled. "You still haven't fallen over as many times as I did when I was learning how." Jaune's eyebrows skyrocketed, he thought this girl could do anything, but if it took her that long to get it right, surely she was just like anyone else. He realized he couldn't complain about failing until he did it as much as she did.

Ruby offered him a hand, he gladly took it. He was up in an instant. He was completely sure at that point, that Ruby was a superhero of some kind. "Thanks!" She nodded as he went back to falling repeatedly on his bottom. It took a long time, but Jaune was finally able one after about a hundred tries. Ruby clapped her hands and cheered wildly. "How'd I do?" He asked, happy to have finally achieved his goal.

Ruby smiled at the boy and gave him a quick hug. "You did great, you even got it before I did when I was learning. I knew you could do it!" As the two of them smiled at each other, they heard voices calling out to them from the park benches. The sun was setting on the horizon, and it was time to go home.

Jaune smiled sadly at Ruby, and she smiled back. "Oh man, I was having so much fun!" Jaune complained. Ruby slapped him on the back and took him by the hand once again.

Jaune was swiftly dragged over to their parents and stood before them as Ruby leaned back and forth on her heels. "Mommy? Can I play with Jaune again tomorrow?" Summer laughed and looked over to Jaune's mother, she smiled back to the woman and nodded.

"Of course you can, sweetie! After you finish your homework, that is." Ruby sighed and sagged her shoulder. "We're about to go now, so say goodbye to Jaune."

Summer took Ruby by the hand as Jaune's hand was taken by his mother's. They looked to each other and smiled, Ruby put her hand on Jaune's face and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Bye Jaune! I'll see you tomorrow!" Jaune watched her leave as he blushed brightly, his mother laughed and gave his hand a small squeeze, "Excited for tomorrow?" Jaune nodded his head quickly.

"She's really cool, I can't wait to play with her again!" They walked back to their car with smiles on their faces.


End file.
